The City of Toronto erected a new bridge that connects the interior of West Toronto neighborhood Liberty Village to King Street. The King-Liberty Bridge is This three-story pedestrian and cycle bridge runs between Western Battery Road and King St. West. The bridge features lively murals by Toronto-based artists Rebecca Baird, Kreecha, and SJ Okemow.
Cree artist Rebecca Baird is an Art Educator, Indigenous Programming, at the Art Gallery of Ontario. She’s been a working contemporary artist for several decades. Her large-scale, multicolored mural, Star Blanket, has been added to the footbridge’s glass exterior.
Toronto artists Kreecha and SJ Okemow submitted work in response to a contest organized by Street Art Toronto in May 2022, seeking mural concepts created from an Indigenous perspective.
The murals were officially unveiled on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the bridge’s Western Battery Road entrance. The celebration included remarks by the artists and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and live music. Food was provided by the Indigenous food sovereignty support group, Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People).
Rebecca Baird appeared in the Toronto art scene during the 1980s and ‘90s. Her art has been featured in public and private locations in Canada, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization (now the Canadian Museum of History), Royal Ontario Museum, and Toronto Pearson Airport. The King-Liberty bridge is Baird’s most recent commission.
If you’re in the neighborhood of King St. West, visit the bridge and discover Baird’s vibrant Star Blanket mural.
